Lake Illawarra Strikes: Tasman Bridge Collapses

The bulk carrier Lake Illawarra was loaded with 10,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate when it struck two concrete pylons of the Tasman Bridge on January 5, 1975. Two of the bridge's spans collapsed onto the ship's deck, and the vessel sank in 35 meters of water in under a minute. Twelve people died: seven crew members aboard the ship and five motorists whose cars plunged into the river when the roadway gave way beneath them. The Tasman Bridge was the primary connection between Hobart's eastern and western shores across the Derwent River. Without it, the city was effectively severed in two. The alternative road route added 50 kilometers to what had been a five-minute drive. The economic and social consequences were immediate and severe. Families with members working on the opposite shore had to relocate. Businesses on the eastern shore lost access to half their customers overnight. Schools, hospitals, and emergency services were disrupted. The Tasmanian government declared a state of emergency and arranged temporary ferry services, but the ferries could handle only a fraction of the traffic the bridge had carried. Reconstruction took nearly two and a half years. The bridge reopened to traffic in October 1977, and Hobart slowly knit itself back together. The disaster led to significant changes in Australian maritime navigation regulations, particularly regarding the passage of large vessels under bridges. The wreck of the Lake Illawarra remains at the bottom of the Derwent, too expensive and too dangerous to remove, a permanent reminder of the afternoon a cargo ship cut a city in half.